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As many of you are aware, now in its sixth year, Castlepalooza Music and Arts Festival returns to Charleville Castle Tullamore, County Offaly this Bank Holiday weekend from Friday July 29th to 31st.

After posting a preview of Castlepalooza yesterday I got to thinking, perhaps people might like a mixtape. So, I put together this as a proper introduction to some of the bands playing, which can be downloaded and listened to before going or on the way to Castlepalooza.

If you’re not going don’t fret, it should make for some good listening over the bank holiday weekend. The tracklisting is after the jump. Enjoy!

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French producer Mondkopf has announced he will release his new album Rising Doom on the Fool House label on October 3rd.

The LP is still a few months away but we’ve been treated to ‘Song Of Shadows’, a taste of things to come. It is dark and slighty broody track filled with sinister distorted beats, pretty much what we’ve come to expect from Mondkopf.

Last years festival really won me over; some great music and a really nice and relaxed setting. They are also to be commended for their willingness to showcase homegrown acts, not to mention 3 Newbridge acts on this years bill (We Are Losers, Moths and Two Charming Men). As always your suggestions are welcome but here are my personal 6 acts not to be missed this years.

Moths (aka Jack Colleran) has created quite a fuss since releasing a number of tracks on the internet yet this will be a first chance to see him perform live. It has been a big year so far for Moths who’s beautiful chilled out electronica not only got many of us hot under the collar, but also Interpol who asked him to remix a track on their new EP – all while studying for the dreaded Leaving Cert. I’m very excited about this one!

Selected as ones to watch in 2011, Django Django are near impossible to place within a single genre, bringing everything from old rockabilly artists to Devo, The Beatles and the Beta Band to the mix. It is inventive and catchy as hell danceable indie – it’s hard to do it justice with words, a band so good they named it twice.

I’ve only recently discovered Hudson Mohawke through the Glaswegian’s new EP, Satin Panthers, which is sooooo good! The big bass drops of ‘Thunder Bay’ alone will be immense but I will bow to other people’s superior knowledge as I’ve only just got his 2009 album Butter. Looking forward to this one and familiarizing myself better with his material afterwards.